Climate Change — A Baha'i View: Warwick Leaflets
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop, Climate Change — A Baha'i View: Warwick Leaflets, bahai-library.com.
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Climate Change — A Bahá'í View:

Warwick Leaflets

Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop

2020

Most
countries now recognise global warming as an established fact, leading to
climate change across the world. We can see the effects in the worsening and
more frequent extremes of weather which we experience – floods and droughts,
damaging winds, heavy snowfall and record-breaking heatwaves. Most countries
have also recognised that much of the cause of this global warming is our
overuse of the world’s resources. We now know that the average temperature of
the world is rising steadily, and that we need to stop it from rising much
further. This requires drastic action from governments, companies and
individuals. Otherwise we are at serious risk of destroying our own habitat,
along with that of many other species.

Moderation

If
we only used what we need, rather than what we want, the problem would not have
grown to its current size. Unfortunately the current world economic system both
encourages and relies on people buying and using more and more, which simply enriches
a small proportion of the population, at the expense of the rest of humanity
and of the planet itself.

Bahá’u’lláh,
the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, urged “moderation
in all things”. Back in the 19th century He specifically warned of
the effects of over-development:

“If carried to
excess, civilisation will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of
goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation. Meditate on this, O
people…”

It
would seem that civilisation has indeed been carried to excess and that we are
now facing the consequences.

Preserving
the Ecosystem

In
the Bahá’í Writings there is much said about the relationship of humanity with our
environment. Bahá’ís have an attitude of respect for the earth and all its
creatures. We must “show forth the utmost
loving-kindness to every living creature.”

Bahá’ís
see the whole of creation as an entity:

“… even as the
human body in this world, which is outwardly composed of different limbs and
organs, is in reality a closely integrated, coherent entity, similarly the
structure of the physical world is like unto a single being whose limbs and
members are inseparably linked together.”

If
we are all linked, then we are all dependent on one another’s existence for our
own well-being.

The
diversity of life forms needs to be preserved, not just to maintain an
ecological balance but for our own particular benefit too. A variety of plants
are required to maintain a healthy diet, as well as for medicinal purposes.

The
Bahá’í Writings state that agriculture is the world’s most important industry –
an obvious fact which often tends to be overlooked. The methods of agriculture,
however, need to be such that an ecological balance is maintained. For example,
research has shown that growing vegetable crops uses far less resources than rearing
animals for food. Bahá’u’lláh’s son, to whom He passed on authority, is
reported as saying, in the early part of the 20th century, that, “…our natural diet is that which grows out
of the ground.”

Justice

One
of the basic principles of the Bahá’í Faith is justice. Bahá’u’lláh said, “…fix
your gaze under all conditions upon justice and fairness.” We all
have an equal right to the world’s resources, and no-one has a right to more
than his or her fair share.

Bahá’ís
see global warming as fundamentally a spiritual problem. Too many of us have
been using more than we should of the world’s resources. Bahá’ís believe that the material aspects of
life need to be guided by spiritual principles in order to achieve a
sustainable and happy life. All of the world’s great religions have this same
underlying belief – none of them encourages greed or selfishness.

As
individuals we all need to play our part, but this means changes in lifestyle,
which require a change of heart. We need a spiritual renewal, giving us the courage
and strength to make the necessary changes, for the sake of all humanity.

If we understand that our purpose in life is to learn and grow spiritually, to become better people, then we will not feel the need to acquire more and more material possessions in order to prove our worth, or to try to make ourselves happy. It is a sobering thought that the source of all our wealth is the ground which we tread beneath our feet.

Unity
and Co-operation

The
most fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith is unity. This means, firstly,
that there needs to be a recognition that all human beings are of equal value,
of whatever gender, race, faith or nation, and that we need to respect and to look
after one another. Those of us who use a lot of the world’s resources will need
to use less, to make sacrifices, in order to ensure that every individual can
have enough of what they need.

Secondly,
we need to work together to achieve our goals. For humanity to survive, the
human habitat, like that of any other species, must be sustainable. The maintenance
of a suitable environment for all living things is a global problem. Problems
like climate change know no boundaries and the causes need to be tackled at a
global level. Bahá’ís believe that in reality we need a form of world
government to implement worldwide solutions. It must be able to manage the
resources of the earth for the good of all:

“The well-being of
mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is
firmly established.”

Although Bahá’ís believe that the world should be organised as if it were one country, they recognise that excessive centralisation is a danger to be avoided. Each piece of the planet’s surface is held in trust by the local inhabitants as well as by mankind as a whole. We all need to ensure that our own local area contributes to the well-being of the whole world rather than having a negative impact on it.

Balance
and Harmony

We upset the balance of nature at our
peril:

“For
every part of the universe is connected with every other part by ties that are
very powerful and admit of no imbalance…”

Mankind
has a faculty which plants and animals do not have, the power to discover the
secrets of nature. We therefore have the responsibility to use this power only
in a positive way, to ensure that balance is maintained in the world.

If
we can all recognise the spiritual basis of life and make the necessary changes
in lifestyle, we can solve the problem of global warming which has led to climate
change. Bahá’ís are hopeful for the future:

“The Lord of all
mankind hath fashioned this human realm to be a Garden of Eden, an earthly
paradise. If, as it must, it findeth the way to harmony and peace, to love and
mutual trust, it will become a true abode of bliss, a place of manifold
blessings and unending delights. Therein shall be revealed the excellence of
humankind…”

The text of all these leaflets remains the copyright of Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop. The Bookshop is happy for people to download individual copies for their own purposes. Printed copies can be purchased from the Warwick Bookshop. Individuals or communities wishing to translate or print these leaflets in other countries please contact the Bookshop for permission.

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-- Climate Change — A Baha'i View: Warwick Leaflets (Used by permission of the curator)